


That Smell

by Desmenn



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: 'omega' stiles, Alpha Scott, Bullying, FTM Stiles Stilinski, Homophobic Language, M/M, Mates, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Other, Scenting, Slurs, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Stiles Stilinski, True Mates, Werewolf Culture, Werewolf Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:50:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8019922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Desmenn/pseuds/Desmenn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Petrichor, honeysuckle, dirt, and spice. That was the scent that Scott smelled as soon as he took his dirt-bike helmet off in the school parking lot Monday morning. It smelled like omega, like something enticing and special. It smelled like..like his mate. He'd been told over and over again about what it would be like. Talia had told him stories, he had read about it in books. How it would draw you in, make you want to roll around in the smell, find the person, protect them. That's all he could think about, moving on autopilot as he headed inside. He didn't even notice Lydia and Jackson trying to talk to him at the doorway, or Allison calling his name as he walked down the hallway. The smell was thicker inside, but more muddled, with so many people bustling around. Scott's heart was speeding, his palms felt clammy. He was about to meet his mate. Nervous excitement crept up his spine. His smile was wooden but genuine, a pool of anxiety bubbling in his stomach. A mantra of "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God" repeating in his head. He really hoped he didn't screw this up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Smell

**Author's Note:**

> Explanation: It's kind of vague but Stiles is trans. He is a trans male, meaning he was assigned female at birth and is/has transitioned to be seen as male. He has been on testosterone for awhile so his voice is changing and his appearance is not feminine. A binder is what people use to compress their chest and make themselves appear flat.
> 
> If you notice any mistakes please let me know. Enjoy!

Usually towns were run by one Alpha, given how tiny a number of the were population they make up. Their instincts demand a territory, a pack to join and protect, and that usually extends to the humans in the territory. Beacon Hills was a strange place. They had not two, but three Alphas. The Hales and the McCalls had lived and protected the land for centuries, two families who have been allies since the beginning. They divided up the town, trained the newly born and bitten, and educated (or tried to) the humans.

  


Laura and her mother, Talia--co-leader of the Hale pack with her husband--presided over the territories of the entire town, with a small exception being the school. Scott overlooked the school; it was his territory for the time being. He was the only Alpha that attended, with Laura already graduated. Scott was perfectly fine with deferring to other Alphas, he preferred it actually. He could watch out for his friends and pack at school and make sure no one got hurt of bullied, and let Talia and Laura worry about the serious troublemakers.

  


There aren't that many weres attending Beacon High, most transferred to private were-only schools before middle school. It was just Scott's pack left: Isaac, Allison, Lydia, Jackson, Ethan, Aiden, Boyd, Erica. They were close, even for a mixed pack of human and non-humans, which was uncommon.

  


But they made it work. When Scott wasn't around the betas took charge, watching over the school and the humans and making sure everyone got along--that no one got hurt. Canine instincts demand order. Arguing or conflict weakens the pack.

  


Scott never took sick days, but he did sometimes take off for half a week to help Talia and Laura teach the newly bitten weres control during the full moon.

  


Some people took his absence as an opportunity to start trouble. And with his most recent time off being at the same time a new student transferred mid-semester, trouble was bound to happen. Specifically with the transfer student. He was skinny, mousy looking with wide eyes. An easy target, especially since he had started the day after Scott left. Usually Scott, being the friendly alpha and pack leader, would show he new students around and make sure they found friends to help them out. He wasn't there this time, though. So things didn't exactly go smoothly.

  


Jackson was the first to notice him, catching his vanilla and pine scent as he slid into the office for a fist full of papers before the first bell rang Wednesday morning. He looked hesitant, shifty. He would be suspicious if his smell didn't set off every instinct to protect in the were. Was he an omega? He looked human, he smelled human. Had that soft undercurrent of vulnerability and mortality to his scent that marked him as a human. Jackson told himself he held the door open for him out of the kindness of his heart and not because his wolf was trying to show it's praise to the not-omega.

  


"Thanks," the mystery boy muttered, turning and walking down the literature hall. Jackson didn't look away until he passed through the doorway to his class.

  


Two classes later he overheard Boyd and Isaac trying to explain to Lydia why they were being insanely kind and thoughtful to the new boy. He joined them by the doorway to their class, making a sort of semi-circle against the wall to form some symbalance of privacy in the busy hallway.

  


"It's a were thing, it's hard to explain. He smells...," Isaac started, pausing to search for the word, not wanting to sound silly for saying it out loud.

  


"Like an omega?" Lydia guessed, not looking impressed in the least. She rolled her eyes at look of surprise on Isaac and Jackson's face. "I'm not stupid. I've seen you two around omegas before. You're treating him like one. He's human. So tell me why?"

  


Their expressions turned pinched. The warning bell for class cut off any reply they might have been forming, allowing for a confused Isaac and uncomfortable Boyd to slip away. Lydia huffed, grabbed Jackson's hand and pulled him into class.

  


Allison noticed next, after a text from Lydia with a heads up. She was sitting with Erica and the twins in the library during their free period, reading idly while they chatted about the next full moon run. She looked up when their words suddenly cut off, seeing them staring at a scrawny boy with a buzzcut and oversized hoody walking into the library. She raised an eyebrow, having to bite back a smile when Erica jumped up and made an aborted movement towards him, as if to pull his chair out for him, ten feet from where they were sitting. The blonde was flushed with embarrassment when she sat back down, and the boy kept glancing over his shoulder at their table after that.

  


"Do you have a crush on him, Erica?" Allison whispered, grinning when she sputtered. She knew Erica and Boyd were an unofficial item, but it was still fun to mess with her sometimes.

  


"No, I.. I- have no idea why I did that," she admitted, looking at the twins as she spoke. They nodded, understanding in some way that Allison didn't.

  


"He..he's human but...I feel compelled to go sit with him or something," Aiden confessed, sparing a quick look at the boy. They spent the rest of their break period talking quietly about what it could mean. Allison was sending Scott updates on the situation. He didn't respond, which was normal for him.

  


At lunch it was even worse. The boy wandered into the large room, making a beeline for the burger line. Boyd actually let him cut right in front of him instead of going to the back of the line, which surprised Allison, considering he wasn't really the type for small gestures like that. Boyd looked just as confused.

  


They had a pack meeting that day after school, meeting at Scott's house, where he was getting ready to leave for the night to help Talia and Laura. He looked tired, but happy.

  


"So there is a new kid? As long as he's nice I don't care, guys," he said as they started to explain the situation. Lydia huffed, he was being short-sighted again.

  


"No, he- I mean yes. He's nice. It's not that, Scott. It's his smell," Allison explained. Scott tilted his head in question, scrunching his eyebrows.

  


"He smells like an omega," Erica announced. Scott frowned, narrowing his eyes.

  


"You said he was human," Scott edged, not sure how to feel about another were coming into his territory without notifying him first, even if it was an omega.

  


"He's human. But he smells like an omega," Ethan demanded, voice betraying his frustration.

  


"That doesn't make sense," Scott pointed out. Ethan opened his mouth to snap out a defense, when Scott shook his head and grabbed his keys off the coffee table. "Look, I have to go. Just don't worry about it. If he's not a were and he's not a threat then just leave him alone and I'll deal with it next Monday."

  


___

  


Growing up as a human in a big city with a high were population meant Stiles was used to a lot of things. He never had a moment of his childhood he felt unsafe. Werewolves were incredibly careful and protective of children. His kindergarten teacher had been a were, she was still his favorite teacher he had ever had. As he got older the tenderness he was used to barely let up. Even after they moved to a small town outside of the city things didn't change. Wolves had always been kind to him. For one reason or another, he wasn't sure. As a child they were nice because he was weak and innocent. Throughout middle school they were nice because they could smell the sickness and grief on him. But why were they still so damn nice? He rarely opened doors for himself anymore. It was kind of overwhelming sometimes, annoying even. Maybe if he just knew why he was still treated like he was mourning or like he was a kid he would be okay with it. Did he give off some werewolf pheromone that made them want to take care of him? He wasn't sure. But this new school was no different.

  


And just because the wolves were overly courteous to him, that didn't mean the humans were. Humans are jealous creatures. Especially the ones who want the bite. To them, Stiles was flaunting this somehow. 'Oh look how I can make these wolves open the door for me or pull out my chair for me. Bet you wish you could get the same treatment!' Only he wasn't trying to rub it in anyone's face. He didn't even understand it. He just wanted to get through high school, go to college, and figure out what to do with his life.

  


But Stiles had never been one to make things easy.

  


On his second day the pack members (or the ones he guessed were in a pack together) gave him some space. He wasn't looking for special treatment and wasn't complaining when they avoided him throughout the day. It was better than one of them trying to buy him lunch or growl at people who looked at him wrong. Which had happened at his last school, and was part of the reason he transferred. The other being the humans.

  


Stiles wasn't exactly...normal. Which was not a good way of looking at it, but it was the truth. Even for California, he has met some bigoted people. Isn't this supposed to the state of rainbows and pride? He didn't feel very proud of himself. Maybe at first. After the fear dissipated, he was proud for awhile. But now, now he was ashamed. People were cruel, and knew exactly what to say to make it worse. He didn't want anyone to have that sort of power over him. So he'd asked his dad, and they moved towns, moved schools. This was his new start, his clean slate. He just had to stay stealth. At least he passed now, which was good. And the only ones who might find out would be the wolves but they were very understanding when it came to secret keeping. He'd yet to meet a wolf he didn't get along with, so he wasn't worried about that. If he was worried about anything it would be one of the women in the office going home and telling their sons or daughters that attended the school about him.

  


Don't think about that. He had enough anxiety, he didn't need those worries piling on top. He did not need to send himself into a panic attack in the middle of biology.

  


Stiles forced himself out of his thoughts, pausing a second to take stock of his surroundings and see if he had missed anything while daydreaming. He tended to slip into his own little world a lot, one of the many side effects of ADD.

  


There were a group of boys behind him talking quietly to each other, for some reason he got the feeling it was about him. He pretended to stretch, taking the chance to glance back at them. Sure enough they were glaring at him. Glaring? What had he done to piss them off on his second day of school.

  


"What are you staring at, bitch?" one of them snapped, sneering at him. He frowned, not expecting that. He'd barely glanced at them. Quickly he turned back around. This class was only humans, which meant any nasty insults or jeers he got would go unchecked during biology. Great.

  


He caught a few more slurs shared between the boys, all directed at him. Doing his best to ignore them, he rested his chin in his palm and stared at the board while the teacher continued to drone on.

  


Class ended pretty quickly, meaning he only had one more class before lunch. Which he was not looking forward to. Yesterday at lunch he'd had to sit alone, being stared at by not only the table of werewolves but also the humans around him. He knew exactly what the humans thought of him now, he overheard as much as he needed. It was nothing he wasn't used to, though. He'd heard the same at his last school. Maybe it was the same reason the wolves were so nice to him, that the humans seemed to hate him. No, it was jealousy from them. Jealousy and confusion. He understood it, but it still sucked. At least at this school they just thought he was an average teenage boy. They didn't have that to hang over his head everyday.

  


His first week of school passed the same. The wolves either avoided him or were uncomfortably kind. Holding the door, getting his chair, walking him to class. The humans were jaded and taunting. "I bet he's the pack's new whore." "Slut." "He'd probably sleep with anyone, bitch." It was exhausting to deal with, and he welcomed his weekend with open arms. The first thing he did when he got home on Friday was march up to his room, close his blinds, lock his door and strip down to his boxers. A movie and a bag of chips helped ease the stress off his shoulders.

  


He spent the weekend in pajamas, ignoring his homework. His binder laid where he tossed Friday, going untouched. He never wore it at home. He hated that thing. It was hot and itchy and constricting, but it was essential. Maybe by college he would have enough saved for surgery. Until then it was a necessary evil.

  
Maybe now that he was at a new school he could find some kind of niche to join. This school was a lot bigger, with a full pack. That meant more protection and more resources. His last school had been small, with only two wolves and they were upperclassmen and he rarely saw them. Maybe this one had an LGBT club he could join. Maybe he wasn't the only trans kid at school. God he hoped not, he was tired of feeling alone. He wanted someone who understood him. His old 'friends' hadn't exactly stuck around once he started transitioning. Small town hive-mind, his dad had said.  


He really hoped this one was different. He would even hang out with the creepy wolf pack if it meant he had people to talk to. Talking to his online friends and his dad only did so much.

  


___

  


Petrichor, honeysuckle, dirt, and spice. That was the scent that Scott smelled as soon as he took his dirt-bike helmet off in the school parking lot Monday morning. It smelled like omega, like something enticing and special. It smelled like..like his mate. He'd been told over and over again about what it would be like. Talia had told him stories, he had read about it in books. How it would draw you in, make you want to roll around in the smell, find the person, protect them. That's all he could think about, moving on autopilot as he headed inside. He didn't even notice Lydia and Jackson trying to talk to him at the doorway, or Allison calling his name as he walked down the hallway. The smell was thicker inside, but more muddled, with so many people bustling around. Scott's heart was speeding, his palms felt clammy. He was about to meet his mate. Nervous excitement crept up his spine. His smile was wooden but genuine, a pool of anxiety bubbling in his stomach. A mantra of "Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God" repeating in his head. He really hoped he didn't screw this up.

  


"Scott!" Erica called, watching him practically float past her and Boyd. He looked like a man on a mission. What was he up to? After sharing a look with Boyd, she glanced down the hall from the direction he was walking from, seeing Allison jogging with Jackson and Lydia behind. She joined Allison, working to catch up with Scott to see what the big deal was.

  


"What is he doing?" Allison asked the blonde, thinking maybe it was wolf thing. Erica just shrugged, following Scott into the cafeteria. Breakfast was being served, but it was early enough the crowd was still low. Scott made a bee-line for the table by the window overlooking the woods. Erica saw the hoodie and bad posture from across the room.

  


"He sniffed out Not-Omega-Boy," Erica said, grabbing Allison's arm to stop her. She pulled her into a seat beside her near the exit of the room, still able to hear Scott but not distract him from whatever was going down.

  


Scott slowed to a shuffle near the end of the table from his- from the ome- the guy. He swallowed a few times, taking a calming breath (and inadvertently inhaling a lungful of mate) before stepping forward. The boy looked up from his phone, his breakfast already gone and empty tray sitting on the table beside him.

  


"Do you care if I sit here?" Scott asked, offering a soft smile. The guy beamed up at him, eyes brightening and he scrambled to move his backpack.

  


"Yeah! Yeah, no, go ahead, dude!" he answered, his voice was a little higher than Scott expected, but it was still music to his ears. And his smell- Oh god, it was ten times better from the source.

  


"You're new right? I'm the school alpha; I was busy last week, but I thought I should probably introduce myself," Scott greeted, "I'm Scott McCall."

  


A strange expression flashed over the guy's face before he nodded a reply, "You can call me Stiles."

  


"Stiles," he said, just to feel the name in his mouth. Stiles glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, an amused smile on his face.

  


"Yeah, Stiles. It's a nickname but as far you are concerned that's the one on my birth certificate."

  


"I'll call you whatever you want," Scott agreed. Realizing a second later exactly what kind of implications could be drawn from that statement.

  


"Oh really?" Stiles laughed, a hint of challenge glinting in his eyes. Scott froze for a second, not at all expecting Stiles to joke along. He smiled, feeling light headed and a little dopey from the smell and the excitement.

  


"Uh, so have you made any friends, yet?" Scott asked, hoping that Stiles would be open to start _some_ kind of relationship with him, even if it was just friendship. Scott would be happy with anything. As long as Stiles was happy and safe.

  


"Nah. Most people have been avoiding me, your little pack's made a weird impression on me I guess," he laughed. His pack caused Stiles to be socially isolated? What had they done?

  


"Did they do something?" he asked, glancing back at where he could hear them repeating his conversation to the humans of the pack. They were all huddled around one table, staring at him. They looked away quickly when he caught their gazes.

  


"No, not really anything bad. It's just this weird wolf thing that happens to me. It always has so I guess it's fine, it just makes keeping human friends kinda difficult," Stiles admitted. Scott scrunched his brows, trying to figure out what he was saying.

  


"What do you mean?" he asked.

  


Stiles waved a hand, as if to dispel Scott's worry. "It's just a thing. Werewolves are always super nice to me. It's weird." He shrugged, fiddling with the case on his phone to keep his hands occupied.

  


"Wait, you mean because of your scent?" Scott asked. That would be the only thing Stiles could be talking about.

  


"My scent?" Stiles looked concerned, watching Scott carefully.

  


"You smell like an Omega," Scott explained, surprised this was the first time anyone had said that to Stiles.

  
Immediately Stiles' expression hardened. His heart jumped before pounding, bringing Scott's nerves even higher. Had he said something? Scott knew humans were kind of misinformed about Omegas but most people at least did some research. It wasn't hard now days to find were-run websites with accurate information. Surely Stiles knew, right?  


"Oh, okay. Gotcha," Stiles said tersely, sliding his phone into his pocket and standing. Scott shot up too, noting with glee that he was slightly taller than his mate. That feeling was quickly overrun with confusion and hurt as Stiles stepped around him, putting his tray up and leaving without a backwards glance.

  


___

  


Honestly, Stiles was used to it from humans. Being called all kinds of stuff since he'd started coming out and transitioning in middle school. Tranny, slut, omega, bitch, dyke, he-she. He was used to it. It didn't bother him anymore. Humans were assholes, and seeing werewolves treat someone with overt kindness pissed some people off. So he got picked on. But this was the first time a were had ever called him a slur. And that's what it was right? He'd heard people talk, he'd read the articles in magazines, seeing people talk about omegas enough to know. So why would this seemingly nice guy throw him such a curve-ball. Was there something he was missing? He'd been shocked, a little offended when it happened. But now that he was at home, and alone, he had time to sit and think it over rationally. It just didn't make any sense. There had to be something that he wasn't understanding. Scott was kind, he was friendly. He had no reason to suddenly call Stiles that. And werewolves had never been anything but kind to him. It could be a one off random thing, not all weres are the same after all. But Stiles wasn't so sure.

  


It took him a solid quarter of an hour of Google-digging to find some werewolf-run websites that could answer his questions. He hovered his mouse of the 'Omega' tab, nervous to find out what the cause for this was. If what Scott said was true, this would explain why werewolves were so kind to him. He was kind of scared to find out. He debated for a moment, curiosity getting the better of him, before he clicked the link. The page loaded quickly, a wall of text beginning to unravel on his screen. He scrolled through it, glancing at the length and sub-titles before going back to the top and starting at the Preface.

  


_"There are a lot of differences between werewolves and humans--scientifically, culturally, physically, socially. There have been entire studies over the differences, the similarities. Most of those studies are wrong, however, considering that it's always humans that are the researchers. They don't understand. Werewolves have a closed culture. They keep their pack hierarchies, their meetings, their terms and roles and traditions a secret. 'Bitten and born is the only way in', is a common saying among humans. It doesn't stop them from trying to piece together the facts provided, however. This also usually leads to misunderstandings and problems, unfortunately._

  


_Humans assume that alpha, beta, omega refer to roles in packs. Not true._

  


_Homo sapiens have two genders-male and female. This is different for lycanis sapiens, however. They have the traditional male and female, as well as three subcategories that wolves fall into. Alpha, beta, omega. The physical differences, excluding omegas, are minute. Most of the differences are in scent and psychological factors. Alphas tend to be muskier in scent with the natural drive to lead. Betas tend to have airy scents with a keen skill for observation and patience. Omegas, they usually have sweeter scents, with a natural urge to protect and a fierce loyalty to pack rivaling even the pack leaders._

  


_It's understandable why humans think that the terms are pack roles. Alphas tend to be the pack leaders, taking charge, making decisions, using their strength and natural aggression to protect and control the pack. Betas tend to follow, or seem to. It's not in their nature to blatantly rebel; they're sneaky. Omegas, though, of all the sexes for humans to be confused over, it's undoubtedly the worst for them. Omegas are special to werewolves. They are rare; and a thousand years ago were considered omens of good fortune, or pack security. Their roles in packs and in were culture are the deepest and most sacred. They were worshiped, cherished, protected. To humans, it's a strange concept to grasp._

  


_Human minds so often deviate to the unnatural, to sin, and so they took the reverent praise and overly friendliness of the 'omegas' and translated that to seduction. Omega became slang for whore to humans. Rumors of the role being for the pack breeder spread through media, and it was too late to fix. No matter what proof or corrections were offered, public opinions had been made and would not be changing."_

  


Stiles paused a second, letting the information sink in. So...alpha, beta, omega weren't terms for pack roles? He frowned, re-reading the Preface again. So what made Stiles different? Why did he smell like an Omega? He was human.

  


With a growing sense of nervous frustration he skipped down to the sub-title 'Omega vs Human Physical Differences'.  


_"So we have covered the cultural and social differences between omegas and humans and how this differs from human knowledge. Now we will discuss most likely the most glaring and obvious difference._

  


_Biologically, omegas can be either male (with an xy chromosome) or female (with an xx chromosome) but there is a complicated addition, or rather, alteration to the human norm for these characteristics. Omegas of either xx or xy chromosomes are able to give birth. They maintain an average human-hormone levels for their sex, unless they are in heat or pregnant. When pregnant their hormones alter to accommodate the fetus. While in heat hormones change to help conception and virility. Their normal base hormone levels return after breastfeeding stops, or two months after an 'unsuccessful' heat."_

  


Below the brief beginner were links to the website's page about heats and pregnancy, a anatomical side by side of human males and females and omega males and females, as well as statistics on omega birthrates and omega population levels throughout the years. They were extremely rare now days, apparently, which would explain why Stiles had never met an omega before.

  


Stiles felt his chest tighten, his heart jumping into his throat. Scott said he was an omega. He smelled like an omega. Did that mean they knew he was trans? Of course, they probably knew, but suddenly it was obvious to Stiles that every single were he had ever met was painfully aware of his secret. They knew. They knew he was trans and oh God Stiles couldn't breath. He wheezed, tears springing to his eyes at the burning panic in his chest. He pushed away from his computer, tucking his head between his knees to gasp out breaths. He was shaking with the force of it. After several excruciating minutes he finally was breathing relatively normally again.

  


It was okay, he told himself. They were nice, they thought he was an omega. Maybe they didn't know why. Maybe he could just pretend like he was some anomaly of nature. At least it all made sense now. Why they were so nice to him. He smells like an omega. And looking at the little anatomy graphics, he was pretty close to actually being one. He sucked in a long breath, letting it out with a groan.

  


After finishing the tab on omegas and reading the tab on heats and pregnancy, he moved onto finding blogs by actual omegas. He spent a few hours on there, before getting curious and googling about trans omegas. He found hundreds of links basically surmising his own situation-trans boys who noticed that werewolves had always treated them differently and wanted an explanation. He even found one blog about a bitten trans boy who after being turned came to find out he was now a real omega. Stiles was intrigued, and a bit confused. How had he never learned about this stuff?

  


___

  


Scott had fucked up. He'd been trying to explain to Stiles why he was being treated the way he was, and he had completely forgotten that most humans would find it offensive, even if they knew the truth. Stiles had probably never had the truth confirmed by a werewolf before, so he thought maybe it was just another rumor. Scott ended up having Allison and Isaac spend the night with him, to keep him distracted from his worry and anguish. They watched movies and talked, Allison promising things would work out. Isaac even volunteered to talk to Stiles if Scott was too scared to.

  


He hoped he hadn't fucked up too badly, that Stiles would give him some time to explain it all.

  


The next day he woke up early for school, leaving while Allison and Isaac were still getting ready. He was waiting at Stiles's breakfast table for him, a tray of food ready for the human. He reverently ignored the pleased pride of his wolf at having essentially provided for his mate. It was just breakfast.

  


"Hey," he heard a familiar voice call out. He turned quickly to see Stiles standing at the end of the table, careful smile in place. He looked tired, but smells hesitant and curious. Scott took that as a good sign. He gestured at the food, offering a small smile.

  


"I got you food. And I wanted to apolo-" Scott began before Stiles cut him off.

  


"Don't. No need. It was a misunderstanding. I did some reading last night," Stiles said, looking down at his food thoughtfully. He took his fork, pushing the eggs around a bit as he thought. Scott waited patiently, sure that Stiles was going to continue speaking.

  


"I'm not an omega...but I know why people think that...And I guess, as long as you guys don't pry me about it, I'm okay with it. And I'm guessing you want to hang out or something? I mean why else would you still be sitting here. Unless it's your Alpha duty to show new people around? Am I reading too much into this? Wait- you said you are an alpha but is that like capital 'a' Alpha or just alpha? There is a bit of a difference, as I have recently come to learn."

  


Scott smiled, amused by his mate's rambling.

  


"I'm an alpha but also the leader of my pack, which people usually also call Alpha. That one has a capital 'a.' And I do want to be your friend..or..uh, you know," his sentence trailed off, realizing what he was saying too late. His face warmed. Stiles jerked his head up, realizing what Scott was trying to say. Or rather ask.

  


"You...you like me?" he questioned, sounding shocked.

  


"I mean..yeah. We just met I know, but...it's a wolf thing. Your smell, and...you're handsome," Scott fumbled for words. Stiles watched his expression for a moment, his scent suspicious. After a moment that suspicion bled to belief and then surprise. Scott was serious!

  


"Wow. I've never-I mean no one has ever liked me before," Stiles explained. Scott frowned, not really believing that statement.

  


"I know that humans are different about this stuff. Sexualities and all that, so I understand if you are uncomfortable by this. Or if you want to just pretend we never had this conversation," Scott said, wanting Stiles to know that he got it.

  


"No, no, it's fine, dude. I'm not exactly...straight, so, it's fine," he breathed, staring at his food. "We just barely know each other, you know? Can we just be friends right now, see where that goes?"

  


Scott nodded, smiling broadly. "Yes! Yeah, of course."

  


"Okay good then, do you have an xbox?" He looked over of Scott, finally taking a bite of his food.

  


They talked games and free-times before exchanging gamertags and phone numbers, having plans to play that night. Scott was giddy as he walked to class. Stiles wasn't mad. He wanted to be friends. He wanted to hang out. Scott was on cloud 9.

  


___

  


Stiles spent the next three months replaying Scott's little confession in his head. The alpha had been a real gentleman so far, keeping things strictly platonic. He didn't make any kind of move or try to talk Stiles into anything. Which helped a lot to help Stiles relax into the friendship. He felt safe for once in a long time. He felt wanted, closer and happier in this friendship than he had in any at his old school.

  


Scott's pack were amazing, too. Lydia was so smart, even if they pretended like she had no idea what he was talking about when he pointed it out. And Allison was a badass. He finally wore her down enough to teach him how to shoot a bow. And the wolves had toned down their 'omega treatment' a lot, which was very refreshing. Stiles felt normal, happy, safe.

  


And if he was being honest, he was kind of beginning to feel something towards Scott. He was nice and funny. He was genuine and goofy and just thinking about the werewolf left this dopey grin on Stiles' face.

  


But there was a huge thing he needed to get out of the way first, before he would even consider the fact that he returned Scott's feelings. He wanted the wolf to know about him. About his secret, why he smelled like an omega. It had been a while since he told anyone, but he trusted Scott. And he knew that he wouldn't tell anyone, not even his own pack.

  


It took Stiles a week to work up the courage, and an entire weekend of Scott asking repeatedly "What's wrong, you smell scared" for Stiles to finally just blurt it out. Scott barely even blinked before smiling and pulling him into a hug. Stiles nearly cried from the relief. Scott didn't hate him, didn't think he was gross. He was right in trusting him.

  


It was a sudden thing after that, Stiles no longer having any reason to justify his refusal to admit his own feelings. He'd been pushing them away from Scott's little confession, giving himself a hundred excuses and worries to try to keep himself from getting involved with anyone. But Stiles had known Scott for half a year, and he was the best friend the human had ever had.

  


Stiles was ready to try exploring something else, he just had no idea how to bring it up with Scott. He wasn't even sure of the werewolf still liked him.

  


___

  


Eventually it did come back up. Several months later, after Stiles trying to drop subtle hints. But if Scott was anything it was unobservant. He was oblivious to Stiles little gestures and teasing. It was frustrating. So Stiles just sat him down one day during the summer, turning off the TV and setting a firm expression on his face.

  


"Do you still like me?" he asked, earning a sputter and wide eyes from Scott. It would be funny if he wasn't trying to act serious.

  


"Y-yeah! You're my m- You're important to me," he said, looking flustered. Stiles eyed him critically.

  


"I'm your what, Scotty?" he asked, heart pounding in his chest at the implications.

  


"My," he hesitated, face burning, finally he muttered, "my mate."

  


Stiles' brain shut down for all of three seconds before it was his turn to sputter and stare with wide eyes.

  


"I'm your mate?!" he yelped, leaning towards Scott. "Since when?"

  


"Always. Since I first, uh, smelled you," Scott admitted. Stiles gaped for a second, recalling all the information he knew on werewolf mates.

  


"Wow...I- I'm your mate. I never realized," he said carefully. Scott looked up at his, hope swimming in his eyes. He was quiet, waiting for a rejection probably. But Stiles had been thinking on this for months, and knowing he was Scott's mate only strengthened his resolve. He sprang forward, catching Scott by surprise as he pressed their lips together. Scott froze, eyes still wide open. Stiles pulled away laughing, reaching a shaky hand up to touch Scott's shoulder--be sure this was real.

  


Scott blinked a few times, before a fire lit in his eyes and he pulled Stiles into another kiss. It stole the smile off his face and pulled a pleased sigh from his lungs. He closed his eyes, getting lost in the sensation. When Scott pulled away a few seconds later, Stiles' still had his eyes closed, trying to burn every feeling to memory. Scott huffed a laugh, pressing a quick peck to his lips before dragging Stiles into a tight hug. Stiles was grinning, heart soaring. He tilted his head when Scott pressed his nose to his neck, letting his _mate_ get a good smell. Scott pressed another kiss there before pulling back.

  


They were still grinning like idiots a few hours later when Melissa got home, finding them lounged on the couch with a movie.


End file.
